5 Greatest Gifts of Being a Jew

Being Jewish confers precious divine gifts that we should never take for granted.

Albert Einstein once startled an audience when he announced, “I’m sorry I was born a Jew.” The people were shocked. How could this great man make such an outlandish statement? With a smile, Einstein then impishly continued, “Because it deprived me of the privilege of choosing to be a Jew.”

As a tenth generation Rabbi, I did not choose to become a Jew; it was my natural birthright. But with the wisdom of age and the perspective of worldly experience I have come to recognize that my identity conferred precious divine gifts that we should never take for granted. Here are five of the greatest blessings of being a Jew.

1. Our Unique Mission

I was sitting in the airport in Dallas reading my daily page of the Talmud when an elderly priest, readily identifiable by his collar, stopped by my seat and asked me a question. "I hope you don't mind my interrupting you. I see you are reading a Hebrew book and you are wearing a hat. Are you by any chance a Rabbi?"

When I responded that indeed I am, he continued, "I hope you don't think I'm out of place but all my life I've been hoping that someday I might meet a Rabbi. You see, although I'm a priest I've always felt that Jews are the people of The Book and enjoy an especially close relationship with God. You are God's chosen people and as a Rabbi you are one of their spiritual leaders. I've always wanted to ask a Rabbi for a blessing. Would it be possible now for me to ask that you honor me with that favor?"

I cannot convey in words how moved I was by that request. I gave him the priestly benediction from the Torah and recited it to him in the original Hebrew. He was moved to tears. In all humility, I understood that for him I was the link to the original Torah. Whatever theological beliefs might separate us – and there are surely many – he clearly recognized the unique role of Judaism, in the words of Isaiah, to serve as "a light unto the nations." Jews are the direct descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the nation that stood at the foot of Mount Sinai and received the Torah to transmit from generation to generation. Jews were “chosen” not to claim superiority but to accept the responsibility to convey God’s messages to the rest of mankind.

It was to Abraham, the first Jew, that God said, “And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing” (Genesis 12:2). Abraham’s descendants will not only be blessed but they themselves will be a blessing – a source of divine spirituality, goodness and sanctity here on earth.

Can there be anything more precious than being a part of the people entrusted with that mission?

2. The Torah

It is a sign of the special regard others have for Jews as "The People of the Book" that I’ve been frequently asked, "What does Judaism have to say about this?" Of the three major faiths – Judaism, Christianity and Islam – ours is the oldest. Our teachings and traditions go back the furthest.

According to the Midrash, before God gave the Torah to the Jewish people he asked all the other nations of the world if they would be willing to accept it. Every one of them asked about its contents before they would make a commitment. When they discovered that one or more of its commandments precluded them from continuing lifestyles in opposition to divine ethical norms, they declined. Only the Jewish people readily submitted their lives to God’s will. Jews were not so much the chosen people as they were the choosing people; a people for whom morality would not be defined simply by personal preference nor happiness by the self-serving motto of “whatever makes me feel good right now.”

To be a Jew is to submit to divine law in the firm conviction that our Creator was kind enough to supply us with a user’s manual for how to live a good life – a life which in the quest for holiness grants us the greatest happiness. And to be a Jew is to declare every day, “How wondrous is our portion and how pleasant is our lot” because we are privileged to hear God speaking directly to us through the Torah He gave us at Mount Sinai.

3. Progress

Thomas Cahill, an Irishman who was so profoundly impressed with the contributions of Jews and Judaism to mankind, wrote an international best-selling book, The Gift of the Jews: How a Tribe of Desert Nomads Changed the Way Everyone Thinks and Feels. In it he credits the Jews not only for monotheism and the idea of a personal relationship with God; it is these concepts, he reminds us, that led us to the understanding that we have a personal responsibility for ourselves and our relations with our neighbors, as well as to our respect for history itself. The roots for what we consider Western individuality, personal responsibility, conscience, and culpability for ourselves and the world – all these, Cahill asserts, can be traced to the monotheism of the Jews.

But perhaps the most important gift of all, he concludes, is that Judaism gave to the world the idea of progress. Prior to the rise of Judaism, Cahill explains, men believed in life as a “circularity.” We are born. We die. The next generation comes along and repeats the process. Life has no direction but merely keeps reiterating itself. Only with Abraham and God’s commands to “go forth from your land, from your birthplace, and from your father’s home, to the land that I will show you,” do we recognize the idea of life as a journey of discovery.

Abraham, Cahill makes clear, is not only the first Jew. He is our first Explorer, the first human to intentionally set out for the unknown. This notion of life as a process or progression created the very idea of history, of the present different from the past, of moving towards a destiny.

That is the idea behind the Jewish principle of tikkun olam – perfecting the world. We have an obligation to become partners with God in completing creation. It is an awesome task and a huge responsibility – but it is a profound gift which makes our lives have meaning and purpose.

4. Optimism

To be a Jew is to know that the world has not yet reached its divinely ordained end. God has a plan for us and eventually it will be fulfilled. No matter how long it takes, Jews remain the eternal optimists. Through all the horrors of history and the Holocaust of the past century we have never lost hope in the prophetic promise of the coming of Messiah – a time when nation shall not lift up sword against nation and peace will prevail over the face of the earth.

Golda Meir put it this way: “Jews cannot afford the luxury of pessimism.” Ben Gurion reminded us that in Israel “In order to be a realist, you must believe in miracles.” And Maimonides included the belief in messianic redemption at the end of days as one of the thirteen Cardinal principles of our faith.

Jews long ago learned to look beyond all the problems they faced in the present by an abiding trust in a prophetically promised glorious future. That forced Jews to forever be optimists. Just as Creation was accompanied by God’s daily verdict that “it was good,” so too, Jews look at daily life through the same divine perspective. Even if we cannot presently understand it, somehow it is all for the good.

And that gift of optimism is what turns our lives from pain to hope, from difficulties to challenges, from troubles to confidence in better times – in short, the key to a sanctified and meaningful life.

5. The Gift of Others

Religion is defined by more than our faith in the Almighty. It is demonstrated and validated by the quality of our relationships with fellow human beings. That is why the Ten Commandments were given on two separate tablets. The first five of the commandments are between man and God; the other five, between man and fellow man. Together they encompass the dual provinces of human responsibility.

It is an incredible idea. We’re all family. We share a common father in heaven. When we help others, we make God happy. When we ignore or harm them, God weeps and we fail to live up to our responsibility. The greatest pain is to feel alone; the greatest sorrow is to have no one with whom to share our life’s journey.

The great Rabbi Hillel had the audacity to identify as the single most important verse in the Bible the one which commands us to love our neighbors as much as ourselves. To be a Jew is to know that we are never alone. It is knowing that we are always in each other’s prayers because every prayer is written in the plural, never in the singular. It is knowing that every one of us is part of a larger, caring community.

Each one of these gifts would have sufficed to warrant our gratitude – dayeinu. How much more so we need to give thanks for receiving all of them.

What do you think are some of the greatest gifts in being a Jew? Share in the comment section below.

Rabbi Benjamin Blech, a frequent contributor to Aish, is a Professor of Talmud at Yeshiva University and an internationally recognized educator, religious leader, and lecturer. He is the author of 19 highly acclaimed books with combined sales of over a half million copies, A much sought after speaker, he is available as scholar in residence in your community. See his website at rabbibenjaminblech.com.

One of the greatest gifts of being a Jew, for me, is being part of a nation that cares. After the Itamar massacre, there was a grocery store owner who started giving the Fogel orphans free groceries. When Naftali, Gilad, and Eyal h"yd went missing, Jews the world over were crying and davening while thousands helped with the search. When Sarah Littman and Ariel Beigel got married, they invited Jews in Eretz Yisrael to come and dance with them and thousands turned up to dance. Only we Jews can carry on over people we never met. Mi K'Amcha Yisrael.

(19)
Deborah,
January 15, 2017 9:44 PM

Beautiful Summary

I can't think of anything to add other than the focus on learning in Judaism, and the value of wisdom.

(18)
Howard Wright,
November 17, 2016 6:24 PM

Mr

Thank you for your enlighten, I want God's wisdom, knowledge, and understanding more than anything. As I have often said, it's more valuable to me than all the riches that we could ever imagine, without God in our lives, we are only existing, I want to live life to the fullness, led by the spirit of God and walking in His ways.

(17)
ozordum melek,
November 16, 2015 8:45 PM

I love the five greatest gift to being a Jew

I enjoy this topic as a beginner from Nigeria in short when ever I get your message it in parts new knowledge in me.

(16)
Reuven ben Moshe,
November 14, 2015 9:35 PM

Israel is AWESOME

It has been a great honour for me to have been adopted (since I was six days old) by Jewish parents, Moshe ben Raphael and Tzipora bat Helena ( If forget my grandmother's Hebrew name)

I adore Israel and although I cannot afford to go there right now hope to soon (I had already made Aliyah in the late 80's but had to return for Family reasons and wish to return before my 57th birthday) I am now 56!

(15)
Janet,
November 14, 2015 6:42 PM

Beautiful article!!!!!!

(14)
HillelAzau,
November 14, 2015 7:55 AM

I also wont to being and join my RABI in the Happiness hall of fame

(13)
Hillel Azau,
November 13, 2015 6:44 AM

Am very very happy greatful and proud to be a jew, but what i know is you people must try to help your neighbours especialy we those in poor, to improve our life and to grow in the commandment of HOLY ONE HASHIM

(12)
estrella hassan,
November 11, 2015 8:40 PM

The gift of feeling always connected with HAKADOSH BARUJHU,and the gift of RECEIVE TO SHARE.

(11)
Alexander Aberham (Chon) Feldbaum,
November 11, 2015 1:19 PM

The Greatest Gifts of Being a Jew

We know how to make peace in our homes, with and for the nations of the world! So why aren't we doing it? Since the time of Josef (the little Jewish boy, sold into Egypt as a slave by his 9 brothers, after they unsuccessfully tried to kill him) and in the time of King Solomon (whose brother tried to kill their father, King Dave) there has not been world peace. Why? First let us ask how they were able to make world peace and then we will answer why this peace did not last after their life time. Since the beginning of the Jewish prayer book we have been screaming out after ever prayer (morning, evening, and night), blessing after meals and after every Kaddish the following words: "Make peace in His heavens, He will make peace upon us and upon all Israel". The strongest form of prayer is screaming! Why is The All Mighty not answering?! The answer is: The All Mighty is close to anyone who call out to Him in truth. The true screaming is only validated when it is coming from our mind and heart. This can be seen in how we learn and live Torah. Torah and Mitzvots is how we "make peace in His heavens". "He (The All Mighty) will make peace, upon us and upon all Israel". Why do we say "upon us" first? And then "upon all Israel"? Why do we even need to say "upon us" if we are really (with true meaning) saying "upon all Israel"? Are you ready? It is easier to make world peace then it is to make peace in our own homes! That is why the world peace Josef and King Solomon could not last. We see this in the Torah: Josef (who believes in G-D fully) told his 9 brothers don't worry, it was not you, but G-D who sent me down to Egypt to save you and the world in the years of famine. The brothers show that they did not believe enough that G-D is running the show, as the brothers later lie to Josef saying: Our father (Yakov) before he died, said to tell you not to harm us. Peace ended! When King Solomon got old, could not keep peace with his too many wifes. Living the Torah is peace. Amen!

(10)
Teresita,
November 11, 2015 2:35 AM

I have never been to Israel but my love for this country and its people grows with each passing day. I am a Catholic but I am deeply aware that the deep roots of my faith is in Israel and the Jewish people. I know what the Jews have gone through during the Holocaust and it always bring tears to my eyes. And I am aware this persecution continues up to now. Thus, everyday I bless and pray for Israel and Jerusalem and the Jewish people. I turn to the east when I do this. I beg our Creator to protect, defend and fight for you against the enemies. He will fulfill what He has started with you. I love Israel and support Israel!

(9)
Shirlee Rosenthal,
November 11, 2015 1:01 AM

Gift of Judiasm

To me the greatest is to be born Jewish. I cherished everyday and thank G-d that He made me a Jew. I am taking a couple of classes and what defines you. I raised my hand and said being Jewish and a Woman makes me what I am a good person. I just lost my Mother this past April and I am grateful she passed her love of Judaism to me. Shirlee Rosenthal

(8)
Howard Sanshuck,
November 10, 2015 11:54 PM

Thorsten Veblen an American Sociologist

If Rabbi Blech reads comments made on his articles he might be interested in researching a paper written by the American Sociologist Thorsten Veblen (a first generation American with a Norwegian name) during the 1920(s). It was titled "The Problem with the Jews." It is a very complimentary piece in spite of its title. It expresses Veblen's concern as to what might happen after all the Jews in Europe go to Palestine after the Balfour Declaration. That didn't actually happen. He also wonders about a second mystery. He says that the Jewish people are a mixture of genes from all of humanity, yet they never seem to intermarry. Also, in spite of that they are prominent in all disciplines and fields of endeavor. He wonders what will happen to Europe and the world when they turn inward, abandoning Europe and move to Palestine.

(7)
Anonymous,
November 10, 2015 10:47 PM

Thank You !

Thank you so much!
I really needed to read this article. Shalom

(6)
dcm,
November 10, 2015 7:43 PM

raising children

There are so many gifts, but one BIG one is the gift of being able to raise good innocent wholesome children in a world that is so crazy. I feel so so blessed to be raising my children with such a purity to match their wonderful inborn purity. I cannot imagine raising my children in the greater world that we live in without the wisdom and protection of Judaism.

(5)
John Harper,
November 10, 2015 5:24 PM

Many thanks...

Possibly the best analogy of why Jews are so hated by a disbelieving world, but blessings that apply to all of Gods children, in any case, where they are observed.

Aspects of relationship with God, which if applied to our lives will return blessings as well.

(4)
Seymour Cook,
November 10, 2015 5:05 PM

The Sum total of what G-d Invested into man..

To be a Jew is to Own Up to the Responsibility Before G-D to Accept the Task of Proving G-D was Correct to Lay out ETERNITY IN a Relationship with man, Knowing that "No Note Gone Wild" (Think of an Orchestra Warming up their Instruments) is Going Back IN..It's as If G-D Risked it ALL on us, While Knowing their was No Risk, Yet Knowing HE Would Have to Up HIS PART For us to pull it off..

(3)
Jennifer Dublino,
November 10, 2015 4:51 PM

The gift of inquiry, questioning and education

To me, one of the most precious gifts of Judaism is the tradition and value placed on questioning, discussion, debate and education in general. We are the only people in the ancient world and even into the middle ages and Renaissance where we had almost universal literacy (at least among men). We place a high value on learning and debate, and finding new ways of looking at things such as new interpretations of passages in the Torah and other writings. This has made us into a people who are creative and analytical thinkers, making not only our own lives richer but also giving us tools to excel in life.

(2)
Ben,
November 10, 2015 3:54 PM

Really?

There's also the other side Rabbi. Jews are the most hated, despised people in the world. It will always like this and always will be. At least until the Moschiah turns up.
Personally, I find it exhausting. It's really not such a big deal to be Jew, sorry!

(1)
Charley Mumbles,
November 10, 2015 3:16 AM

Did he say it?

Does Rabbi Blech, or any reader, have a RELIABLE source for the Einstein quotation? I have no evidence that Einstein didn't make the statement, although I've seen the exact same story attributed to Louis Brandeis and so I wonder if this is a meme. In any case, Einstein had little regard for religion. I'm a bit skeptical of Rabbi Blech's story, so I'd be pleased to learn where this quotation is documented.